The Ministry of Minority Affairs would spend Rs1250 crore on area development and 1770 crore on scholarship programmes out of Rs3511 crore, the earmarked budget for the Ministry during financial year 2013-14.
This was stated by K Rahman Khan, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs while addressing the National Editor’s Conference. The area development scheme will be implemented in 710 Minority Concentration Blocks and 66 towns, he added. Besides, Rs100 crore have been allocated to Maulana Azad Education Foundation(MAEF) for providing medical aid to minorities in case of critical ailments. The modalities to release the funds under the scheme are under consideration. To strengthen the efforts towards educational empowerment, the corpus of MAEF, an autonomous body under the Ministry, has been raised from Rs100 crore to Rs750 crore to award scholarships to meritorious minority girls, the Minister informed. Sharing information received from nodal Ministries, the Minister informed that while share of minorities under Priority Sector lending from Banks has reached 14.96 per cent during 2012-13, the recruitment level of minorities in Central Government Ministries/departments, organisations etc. has increased to the level of 11.55 per cent.